It is estimated that over 30 million people in Europe use homeopathic medicine, which has been recognised by an UK Act Of Parliament in 1948 as a safe form of medical treatment. And, "Homeopathic medicines in high dilutions, prescribed by trained professionals, are probably safe and unlikely to provoke serious adverse reactions." [Note 1] Half of the French population are regular users. Mind there is evidence that ▫it works too. More and more people turn to this form of complementary therapy to help treat common ailments and conditions.

You can read about many of these in Dana Ullman's book, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (North Atlantic Books, 2007).

Homeopathy offers the hope of help against these pressures or unpleasantries - add "perhaps" to that - at least some remedies help some persons. The hallmarks of remedies should ideally conform to the present troubles, the said potency should too, and the dosaging and administering - how long, for example. These factors count, a homeopath may tell you, based on a tradition and own experiences, as the case may be. At this point it is fit to point out that "faith doesn't count" - even if it helps! Faith in homeopathic remedies and similar forms part of what doctors call the placebo effect. That good faith helps is "the bitter truth" to some, for placebo effects (faith in fool's medicine) can account for 50 to 60 percent of all improvements in testing of various medicines. It may be OK to get allied with the placebo effect by such as faith in homeopathic remedies and conventional medicines too as long as we keep sensible and not get very rash. However, a rational being may do better than take to blind faith, since blind faith has its dangers. One is getting conformised and subjected to dogmatists in very inferior ways.

In the Kalama Sutta, Buddha advocates that we investigate things freely, responsibly and well enough. It is sound counsel; fit for scientists and others who "have it in them", as we say. If we want to base our therapy on something else than placebo effects, we need controlled experiments to sort out what betterments are due to. It can be done.

Now, till such controlled findings are had, it is a good thing to believe as little as we are up to. Provisonal, good faith to try out things - including homeopathic remedies - may work fine too. And that is my stand. Since sound and controlled explorations of the suggested remedies below are not made yet, just feel free to try them out without jeopardising too much. After they have had a chance to change your life-field somewhat - give them for example 8 weeks - note whether there are betterments or not in you or your conditions. That is about it.

Know of these fallacies: For a single person it could be equally wrong to say the remedies did not help if she got worse, or helped if she got better - It may sound alarming, but with single cases such conclusions are possible alternatives. She might have got much worse without the pills in the first case, and much better without them in the second case!

"When the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the proof is not to be a rascal."

Now, if many people get a somewhat similar treatment, there are research designs available to help determine the chances that the glee of being "helped by homeopathy" is based on on something significant or not. If not, homeopathy may still be effective; we may need better research then. Sadly, this happens too, and it is humiliating that researchers make too big claims on poor grounds. Some are prejudiced, and mask their "mental muck" as "research" too.

Technical help is offered

Full names of the homeopathic remedies and flower essences are
given in both Latin and English on another page.

To understand why many take to homeopathic remedies and certain flower essences and go on to stick to such things, the ideas of Drs Harold S. Burr and Leonard J. Ravitz Jr. offer much help along with ideas set forth by the old homeopath James T. Kent, and likewise do research findings of Dr Karin Lenger. To "knit" the ideas of such fields better together, ideas from biomagnetic explorations may help too, although it depends on what meanings are put into the word 'biomagnetism' also.

Sorry Idealists

Idealists may devote their lives for years to some grand cause and later get much
disappointed and filled with regrets and remorse. After investing efforts, time, devotion, while somehow failing to get as much of value in return, do we feel out of step? Awfully disappointed? Blunted?

Below are several plant remedies aimed at monks and others who decided to leave their narrow confines for the sake of their health and well-being, without planning to vegetate and ruminate for the remainder of their lives. Here is a helping hand.

Wear and Tear as long-run results of intimate love

Being a householder or a
monk or nun - both approaches may work, depending on what we may want to make out of life, or strongly need. The Bible says that before Adam and Eve fell, they strolled about naked and not shameful for it, and might have had sex full well too, to fulfil a God-given command about multiplying. Monks and nuns often think they are not allowed to do such paradisiac things. I often wonder how much they condemn themselves through wrong attitudes and notions. Even in Buddhism there are unmarried lamas, and Zen priests - but married lamas and priests too.

One may readily see that dropping a spouse reduces many stresses of life (and may bring other ones instead). A little joke pinpoints some things:

"A wife is a person who helps you through all the troubles you wouldn't have had
if you hadn't got married." [Ole, in Rsn; Online]

Now see how true it is - Love may be annoying, stressful, and work terribly. Severe stress may maim and eventually kill through psychosomatic mechanisms. And troubles make you gasp or pant. Panting may be further refined. Kriya yoga is much refined, gentle "panting" that some monastics make use of. In SRF they do. So consider many of the effects of patent love: Up to 11 of the 14 most stressing experiences of Americans tie in with
love and love-making.

Averaged life events on the often used Holmes-Rahes averaged scale of stressors, where 100 points is allotted to the worst single event:

Death of spouse * 100

Divorce * 75

Marital separation * 65

Jail term (in US prisons) 63

Death of a close family member + 63

Personal injury or illness * 53

Marriage * 50

Dismissal from work 47

Marital reconciliation * 45

Retirement 45

Change in health of family member + 44

Pregnancy + 40

Sex difficulties + 39

Gain of new family member * 39

The full table: Hi 497.

The signs explained:
*: Very likely to tie in with wedding someone and go on from there.
+: Quite likely to tie in with wedding somebody and things that unfold in its wake.

Sound, over-all regulations count too

Whether a monastic or married guy or something else, there is much that can ease the stresses and strains of living. Stress suggests you have done major blunders, for stress tends to make ill, and can even kill. So beware of wrong adaptations - since some of them lead to stress, and stress may lead to disease and premature death also [Hi 492-525].

It is held - by me at least - that homeopathic remedies and certain flower remedies may alleviate stress and other psychosomatic imbalances - more or less. Also, so far as physical diseases are psychosomatically tinged, to that degree such remedy may help against physical problems too. For how long, it is rather difficult to say. But we are free to try it out.

Karin Lenger's research says that homeopathic sugar pills and liquids are a sort of information carriers of a subtle kind (due to the work of photons with electromagnetic wave packets). Malcolm Rae taught much similar things by a bit different words back in the 1970s. It was based on decades of particular investigations. Many factors add up to this: homeopathic remedies (pills and liquids) may regulate the electromagnetic field of a body by way of resonance, as each remedy carries its own resonance pattern.

Medical doctors estimate that emotional stress is involved in at least half of all common physical ailments, for example [Hi 505]. Some have higher estimates. And as for mind ailments, many are due to undue stresses. There is a WHO list of some of these troubles. There is a link to the list on another page: [Link].

Building carefully sheltered homes of the atrium type could work well in many places and bring about a taste of paradise where the weather is all right. It's in the art of living, and so is wearing clothes as is fit.

Living in spiritual communities may work well if it does not violate the inner side
of man and woman, the the maturing mind, freedom of adulthood, fact-searching, a fit conscience, and so on. The same holds good for family living. It may work all right. And there are different sorts of families. Some are not so good. They may be limiting, base, decadent, sour, infirm, and so on.

Anyhow, the environment could be made quite garden-like. Man is designed for reciprocality with a garden-looking environment in general (add more or less yourself). However, a
fulfilling life is often different, because it ties in with the awakening individuality,
which is unique, i.e., which is more or less like anyone else, yet with some characteristics of its own, presumably. Naturally, different persons have singular or even peculiar
demands, and what is organised had better allow for it.

Old monks, nuns, and other members - some appear to be cowed for long

Some idealists devote their lives for years to an idealised grand cause and later get much
disappointed. There may be such very stressed individuals around.

Let us talk of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), California: In 2001-2002 about one third of monastics left the fellowship's premises. For, as with millions of marriages, some who stick to a previous life choice get unhappy, some who divorce were unhappy, and some may not recover fully, and so on.

There may or may not be more unhappy persons left in that fellowship and others - in many a setting that is severely outer-directed (steered by others) and somehow served by wearing masks, or by role-play. After all, foul monastic rules are there for enforcing obedience to superiors, right or wrong. And what is called humility serves an authoritarian set-up too, most likely. It is not easy to be a monk, one of the SRF monks confided to me, after having served in India for some time. He did not specify what was not easy for him, however.

Self-Realization Fellowship has a sister organisation in India, called YSS, for Yogoda Satsanga Society. It runs charitable ayurvedic and homeopathic clinics in India, and has homeopathic medical dispensaries in at least nine places there.

Maybe the confiding monk suffered unnecessarily because he had no recourse to good homeopathic remedies? Maybe, but homeopathy is specially strong in India. Gandhi advocated it too, in his day.

Homeopathy came to India in 1810 when German physicians and missionaries came to Bengal and started distributing homoeopathic remedies. John Martin Honigberger was the first medical doctor that was recognised among them. First he treated the horse of the ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and later treated the maharaja (great king) himself. Maharajic patronage followed. The system was much spread in Bengal and South India. By the beginning of 1900s most of the important cities in India had homoeopathic dispensaries, and lots of quacks practicing homeopathy.

In 1948, the new Indian government set up a homeopathic committee to establish a regulated teaching and practice of homeopathy. in 1952 a homeopathic advisory committee was appointed by the government too. The recommendations of these two committees led to a Central Act in 1973, recognising this gentle system of medicine. Homeopathy is presently accepted as one of the National Systems of Medicine in India.

There are over 200 homeopathic medical colleges in India, according to Dr. ▫Mansoor Ali. About 35 of them are government colleges, the rest are managed by private bodies. Here is a college list: [▫List].

Further, homeopathy is the third most popular method of treatment in India, after Ayurveda and conventional medicine. It is estimated that there are about 300.000 homeopaths in the country, and nearly 10.000 new ones are added to that every year.

The legal status of homeopathy in India is very much as that of conventional medicine.

Back to the SRF monk

At any rate, no matter how many hundreds of thousands of homeopaths that are around you, much depends on (1) the diagnosis, (2) the remedy descriptions for "finding it hard to be an American Hinduish monk", and on (3) how the seemingly well-matched remedies are administered. These three sides to it are necessary for a rewarding outcome outside the realms of quacks, methinks.

Also, just how difficult celibacy is, depends on how much sex drive you have too, and your personal firmness, and your other outlets. Some take to much and strenuous sport. Others try to sublimate urges, according to Freudian theory, that is. And much depends on how the monastic enterprise is structured, just what rules and regulations are there, and how much each member is to crawl for superiors.

Deep servility is not called shameful in some cultish and monastic quarters, but demanded of monks and nuns and other fanatic-monastics. Such slow derangement of oneself forms part of a network of obedience and instituted harrassments, and is not good for native assertiveness. It can be damaging as well.

In the large society pretty much and extended assertiveness is usually needed before one ends up in a niche or is "cornered". Here is an additional problem for many old monks and nuns who have learnt to curb themselves year in and year out and not go against superiors very much, if at all. They may be damaged by it. As it was once stated, "Many leave beaten down with their spirits broken" [▫Ref.]

Below are pieces of advice from a licenced therapist (psychoanalyst etc.). Bach flower remedies are suggested for some common traumas further down. Interested? Then find a dealer of homeopathic remedies and Bach flower remedies and try out yourself. Or if you prefer to make some remedies yourself, learn how to do it. Just make sure that individual efforts do not get in the way of proper diagnosis and medical treatment. See the site's disclaimer for more along that line.

Don't get all outsmarted. Instead try to preserve your assets and keep enough control over them yourself, because it is generally safer that way.

Cater to your basic needs, your deep needs. Maybe no one else will do it for you. It is helped in part by avoid unfulfilling company and places where disturbances and grave problems may be passed on to new members. It happens in cults and sects, and SRF qualifies to be called a cult. Be that as it may.

Get good expectations to help you on and up

Below is a list of Bach flower essence remedies and a few homeopathic remedies - all called deep impressions - you
may find helpful in very stressful conditions, or right afterwards. Some do. However, rigid, scientific proofs are generally missing in these waters. But most grown-ups are free to try and see for themselves. That amounts to something too.

This should also be noted:

These are not medical prescriptions.

The remedies could be generally or all-round helpful - you may try
it out to see for yourself to find out of it, if you can.

If you try flower essences like the Bach remedies, seek to adjust your life
constructively at the same time, as tendencies to do so arise from inside yourself (if it
happens), and rest well. Much rest is found to be good. Breathing deeply, calmly, tends to assist a person too.

Along with the "general bundles" (packages of sorted remedies) below, there could be better ones - that
is, some that suit the individual needs better. A few such remedies may be added: there should be no danger in that.

You may freely add up to ten flower remedies from the list here, but maybe five
remedies will feel better. Note that the Rescue Remedy (Bach) is a blend of five flower
essences in itself. They are called Rock Rose, Impatiens; Clematis; Cherry Plum, and
Star of Bethlehem.

You find the remedies listed here described in the literature. The Bach flower
essences are described by Dr. Philip Chancellor in a book [Hbf].
Homeopathic remedies are described slightly differently in the materia medicas of the
profession, and many of those listings be studied online today.

Adhere to the dosage instructions. You could do well to keep up "taking" a
remedy mix for at least four weeks, preferably longer - up to ten weeks if needs
be.

It is thought that remedies like these, in the potencies they come in the list, help
in crises, but don't expect lasting, permanent help from them. Some reasons stand out in case: (1) The remedy is not a great hit; does not match the deep disturbances; and (2) its charge is not enough to restore some measure of health; or (3) the effect may wear thin after time.
The quite low
potencies may not bring you all "the output" (charge) or the perfectly fit influence required to deal
with the impact of unhealthful outer influences and social damage, or the traumatic past
under rigid control. But you can give it a try. You may
even get surprised. Some do get surprised.

The Bach remedies
are not said to interfere with the stuff medical doctors prescribe (prescripted medicine),
and the same holds good for the homeopathic remedies, which are all marked with an asterisk
(this sign: *). You can blend both the Bach remedies and the homeopathic remedies too, quite as you like.

You may see I keep much reserve in talking about the remedies that I personally believe in, and have brought evidence (another page) about as well.

For each mental state listed below you may chose one or more remedies as seem fit, and take them according to gentle rules of the thumb. There is one such set of half-rules for homeopathy, and another for Bach remedies. You can read more in this collection. [More]

The remedies below are supposed to be taken in non-poisonous homeopathic potencies - that is, D6 C6 or x6 and higher potencies. To the layperson the counsel is to drop higher potencies than c50 and leave the highest potensies to qualified persons. There is still a lot to look into between D6 (c6) and D50 (c50).

Two rules of the thumb often come in handy: For acute problems, use low potencies. For severe, deep, and long-lasting (chronic) problem, a homeopath usually administers higher potencies, but may start with low potencies and gradually step up the potencies a bit.
As for dosage and intake: the doses are small (for example 8 sugar-white pills). They are to be sucked and melt slowly in the mouth (less than five minutes is not considered full well). Hot food and hot drinks are to be avoided for up to a quarter before and after the sucking.
Spread the dosages as evenly across the day as you are able to, and find time to rest a little bit extra during a good cure. D6 and c6 may are typically sucked 4 times a day, evenly spread. D12: the same. D30: for example twice a day.

You can learn to devise your own home remedies and save thousands of euros or dollars by it. That may be rather easily done in the long run.

Finally, it is possible to improvise a little bit in this terrain too, but keep it within limits till you are well qualified and experienced. Who is qualified? There is a Chinese saying:
"The doctor who has killed ten patients is a bad doctor. The doctor who has killed a hundred patients, is a good doctor." It holds some truth, if the doctor learns from grave mistakes. Otherwise not. It is not to be taken seriously, then.

Aimed at those who feel they lack the strength for the everyday demands, who suffer
from a persecution, maybe. Being displeased from inside with one's lot in life.

"For the feeling (often experienced upon waking) that one doesn't have the strength
to get through the normal activities of the day. Teaches mental liveliness and alertness, an
enthusiasm for life (Bach)."

Hornbeam advocates (through its steady influence) the strength to carry out everyday
duties and routines.

Heather

Aimed at those who get sorely self-occupied for a long time, those who fear being
left alone, fear being lonely or loners. They may get talkative, and have their amounts of
intolerance beneath it, though.

Heather is said to advocate (through its steady influence) better self-care, better
readiness to related to love or loved ones, and helps concern for others too.

Chestnut Bud

When it just does not help to give up and give in. Aimed at those who feel stuck in
a recurrent pattern of attitudes and the like, and learn slowly.

"For those who repeat the same mistakes over and over again, never learning from
past experience. Teaches one to be a good learner and to pay attention to the present
(Bach)."

Chestnut Bud advocates ones present timings, far greater objectivity in one's
personal dealings, and more readiness to adjust from learnt lessons in the long school of
life.

Meant for those bent on self-destructions, in morbid conditions, pining,
low-spirited, quite lifeless, and with serious loss of memory. Feelings of self-condemnation
and utter worthlessness may alternate with profound despondency, and with thorough disgust
of life and thoughts of suicide. Yet there may be great fear of death. Those who feel
peevish and yet become vehement if gainsaid. Anthropophobia. Mental derangements. Constant
rapid questioning without trying to get good answers. Oversensitives in a dire confusion,
and tumultuous or frightful dreams.

Aurum (gold) helps assertiveness, but it may not be proper assertiveness - and it
may help counteracting facets of that picture. It may (or may not) be as bad as depicted in
a materia medica. If many items fit, however, gold (Aurum) is indicated. Link

Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy is a blend of five flower essences called Rock Rose,
Impatiens; Clematis; Cherry Plum, and Star of Bethlehem. It is used with the intent of
reestablishing one's balance after trauma, shock, or in a mild neurosis - in "any emotional
or physical disturbance" is the dictum one may come across. It may be administered when
someone is not in tune with oneself or suffers from great unrest of mind or spirit or body.
It is often found useful after shock, divorce or separations that count, or experiences that
have caused great burdens. It often comes in handy, it is stated. Have a bottle in store for
your household and yourself, is the counsel.

Walnut

It is said to work for persons who are not bad and evil and need to stand firm and
be well (better) protected from outside influences or pressures; for those who need to walk
on in their lives and break bonds and old patterns of habit. Walnut is thought to be useful
for those who face one or more significant resolutions or change, such as when someone
leaves home, or when transferrals are involved.

Walnut is said to yield protection so that we can manage to break bonds and fetters
that are no good for us, that don't work well for us, and it may help us adjust for more
personal space or 'freedom' involved in it. Walnut is also thought to be useful for those
who let others influence them over-much with opinions and persuasion.

(Impatiens)

It is aimed at the quick-witted who get frustrated with blockages, hindrances and
delays, and react too brusquely, too rashly, and too inconsiderately - not too
well.

Impatiens favours sobering up, and related social skills over and above icy cold
cunning that may or may not be involved. It is also said that Impatiens has the "power"
(i.e., influence) to help you to get things done at a neat or natural-looking pace.

*Kalium oxalicum c6 (to be preferred) or Kalium muriaticum
c12)

Sinking of guts, headaches may set on. One's inner heart forces are weakened, with
loss of memory and contacts. Those who have illusions in that picture. It may also be
awfully hard to speak. There may be a death-wish.
Kalium oxalicum should work in the opposite direction of these factors. You have to
try it and see how far or if it will come about in any case.

Aimed at those who look much business-like on love and its concerns, and gives only
for returns. Those who flaunt their great love and concern, even melodramatically, are also
off tune - from inside.

Chicory is thought to help one to relate - to love and near ones - more in the way
of per se (in itself) aspects that could be involved. At times it is a reward to be giving
without thought of reward - if that inner balance is at stake.

Chestnut Bud

(See above)

Olive

It is aimed at those who are extremely fatigued, mentally, bodily, or spiritually -
or "in every way," as the books say. The life is hard and joyless. Strength from within is
not found any longer. There may be times when one hardly knows how to keep on and cope. One
may or may not need outside help.

"For mental and physical exhaustion, caused by illness or personal ordeals. This
remedy assists in giving strength and vitality. (according to Bach)"

Olive stimulates (its essence influence does it) relaxing and adjusting better to
the seemingly simple things in life, a walk in the sun, a dinner with one's family, being
with sociable friends, and relating to children around oneself.

Aimed at those whose lack of self-confidence is too obvious. Their fear of being
failures hinder sane competence. They may not even think they can succeed and master their
more immediate settings.
Larch is a yielder of (i.e., yields) better confidence. It assists non-neglect
versus oneself and higher needs in oneself. It encourages participation in life in general,
perhaps the determination to take on challenges, and getting something out of it in return.

*Adonis vernalis c30

Low vitality and a dirty mouth. The positive aspect of Adonis is said to have a
cumulative action.

*Lithium met c6

The deep, inner heart (core) is sore, and the whole body may ache as well. The
deep soreness of heart may stem from being pressured or censured.

It is aimed at those who are more or less obsessed with themselves, talking about
great and small problems. A dire need to talk may give a self-centred impression, but in
time they become great supports of others in need of compassion (and see above)

Wild Oat

Aimed at those who are not nerds, basically, but gifted people. They desire to
accomplish in life, but have problems with their calling somehow - if so it is due to very
basic dissatisfactions and even kingly frustrations.

Wild Oat help us get in rapport (in tune) with our inwardly felt calling and try for
our main goal, if it can be found or had. That may not be so sure. Wild Oat helps expressing
well, and balance inner and outer needs.

DISCUSSION: Wild Oat could fit people who feel that they want to do something
worthwhile with their lives but do not know in which direction they should move. They have
not yet found a clear sense of purpose, or they have not gained their decision(s) yet, and
are thus rather unsettled. Instead they drift or play hazard in their frustrations (which
build up rage inside), and resulting depressions.

Those who have had ambitions to do something good in life apart from merely living,
may have much uncommon experience. Wild Oats helps "enjoy what is possible". Good ambitions
may be there, slumbering, but what their callings may be, may cause one or more
problems.

Talents and skills may want challenges to grow, and these persons could desire quite
unique achievements. Commitment to a goal may be at stake. One needs to follow
through.

Wild Oat is said to help people to find their true role, putting them in touch once
again with their own basic purpose in life so that the way ahead seems more obvious. Focus
and direction has to be trained. There should not be uncertainty over one's basic direction
in life.

Maybe helped to gain more composure or things like that in crisis
times

Below are two more listings. Advocates of flower essences say they have positive
energies too. That is listed in books about the Bach remedies, as you can see. 'PRO'
suggests 'advocating that', more or less.

There are more aspects to the remedies than what has been described here [MORE]. You may also want to know where to get them. You could try the nearest pharmacy or health store in your country, or ask The Bach Centre for information. There may be other and better ways for you in the country you're inside. It generally helps to check out (look before you leap).